Need a Sports Distraction?

I was sitting at my desk this morning thinking about all that is wrong with this great country. It is real easy these days to get depressed about all the negative news you hear streaming out of the tv and radio. Every time you turn around it seems as though this country has taken another step backwards in terms of stability. I for one can't wait for this presidential election to be over with. I am so sick and tired of hearing all the negativity that flows out of these campaigns. Just tell us the facts, and what we truly need to know to make an educated decision on who the choice should be, without all this other garbage thrown in. How are we supposed to know who or what to believe. Regardless of who wins, I am ready to move on, and I truly hope the next president will be able to lead this country back in the right direction.

So, as I was sitting at my desk thinking about all of this, and getting more depressed by the minute, I began thinking about this past weekend in sports. I started thinking about some of the great football games, and of course the World Series, and I started to feel a little better. I don't mean this to sound shallow because there are a lot of troubling things in our world that take precedent over a game, but being able to put those issues to the side for a few hours, and truly get excited about something, is what makes American sports so special. I recall back in 2006 when the Cards won it all! It was so exciting, and now I see the city of Philadelphia on the verge of something special. Although, I must admit, I am pulling for the Rays, but still, its nice to see a city get so pumped up for their team during a championship run. Sports can get very competitive at times just like politics, but there is a very big difference between the two. Unlike politics, when it comes to sports, what you see is what you get. Next time you feel the urge to let all the negativity of the world get you down, you might try a sports distraction. Think about how sports has lifted you up at some point in your life, and realize how blessed we are to live in this great country! We need to be thankful for all of our freedoms, including the freedom to show excitement and celebration for our favorite teams. Think about the special moments with your kids. Those moments when you were so proud of them that you could tear up. Think about moments in your own sports life. Those special memories that you will carry with you forever. I would really like to hear about some of your sports experiences, or anything else that has the power to make you forget about all that's wrong with the world.

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Mizzou, Where Did You Go?

Wow! What a disappointing turn of events the last two weeks! I must say, the Oklahoma State loss at home was devastating, but to turn around and literally fall on our face at Texas! I guess the question remains as to how good the Tigers really are. I do believe we will still compete for the big 12 championship, but I am worried at this point, that even if we play our best football we can compete with the big boys. It just seems to me that we have been a step behind our competition the last 2 games, and ultimately were not physical enough to hang.

Oklahoma State played a great game, but we should have won! Three turnovers and missed field goals are hard to overcome, but yet we still only lost by 5. Nevertheless, it's a loss, and nothing can be done about it. The unfortunate issue here, is the fact that the Tigers appear to be overrated and were not worthy of being in the BCS conversations. While it appears to be that way at the moment, I still feel like we are a better squad than what we have shown the last two weeks. The ultimate question is whether or not we can regroup, and start playing football again. Time will tell, and we definitely have an opportunity for redemption. I say, lets make it happen! Come on Tigers! Show us what your made of! Step up and make MU fans proud! Give me your thoughts folks. Any chance MU wins out and plays Texas again, or whoever wins the south? Let me know what you think.

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Cinderella Rays and Torre's Dodgers

I want to discuss the upcoming LCS match ups in both leagues. I will start with the ALCS. I am a true National League fan. Always have been, always will be. However, I love to talk about a good underdog story. While Boston is a very solid team, and has a player that I always felt had a ton of potential in JD Drew, I speak of Drew because of his former Cardinal roots of course, I can't help but pull for the underdog Rays. This team has come out of nowhere to compete with the big boys of the AL, and in my mind are truly a Cinderella story. If someone told me at the beginning of spring training the the Rays would be playing the Bosox in the LCS, I would have told the person they needed to quit smoking that crap!:) Nevertheless, here they are. They are a team made up of young kids, with just the right mix of veterans to keep it together for 162 games, plus the Divisional series. The manager of the Rays is another unknown, to me anyways. I watched his post game interview the other day, and I must admit I was very impressed. He seemed like a great guy who obviously has a ton of knowledge of the game. Again, Boston has a great team, but I have to admit, being from the Midwest and constantly hearing nothing but the Yanks and Bosox on ESPN, I am ready for a new champion for the AL. Oh yeah, it doesn't help that Boston kicked our butt in the '04 World Series. Go Rays!!

Moving onto the NLCS, I must admit it has stunk the last two years that my Redbirds haven't even made the playoffs. Oh well, can't do it every year, and it was kind of fun to watch the Cubs choke again. Nothing personal toward cub fans, but this has to be getting old for the city of Chicago and all the great fans that support this team. One thing that really stands out to me in this LCS, is the fact that Joe Torre is involved. He obviously doesn't have the talent pool he was used to having with the Yankees, but heck, who does. The money they spend in New York is ridiculous, and look at what it has done for them the last few years. (NOTHING!) Joe will always be a favorite of mine regardless of where he is managing. He is a former Cardinal player and manager, and speaks highly of his former organization when given the opportunity. That's true class. He has literally taken a middle of the pack team in the Dodgers and suddenly turned them into a legitimate contender for the crown. Of course the acquisition, mid year, of Manny didn't hurt. It amazed me how much harder Manny is playing now. It really makes you wonder if he was laying down on the Bosox at the end. Ultimately, I feel this will be a great series between the Dodgers and Phillies, but if I had to pick a favorite here, it would be LA. Nothing against Philly, they have a great team as well. I just feel like LA is peaking at the right time, similar to my '06 Redbirds, and have a ton of confidence on their side.

Time will tell, but I really feel like the LCS match ups this year are really cool. Three of the four teams haven't played in an LCS in sometime, and it's always nice to see other cities able to get behind their team. There's nothing more exciting than watching your team march through the playoffs! Anyways, hope you enjoy this post and please jump in and respond with your thoughts and opinions.

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Growing up as a child in Southwest Missouri, I will never forget my summers helping Dad and Grandpa working on the farm. One of the things I remember most about these years, (other than the hard work and long days), is spending the evenings listening to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon on the radio, giving play by play of my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals!

My first memory was when I was 8 years old, and having the opportunity to actually watch the Cards finish off the Brewers in the 1982 World Series. Back then we didn't have 150 sports channels to choose from like we do now! The only thing better than this moment, when it comes to sports anyway, happened 26 years later. The Cardinals won the 2006 World Series! I got to celebrate the same experience all over again, but this time, I got to do it with my 8 year old son. Talk about goosebumps! They say guys aren't supposed to cry, but I have to admit that a few joyful tears were shed that night!

As you can see I am a loyal and passionate fan, but I'm not alone. My wife and 2 sons are also sports junkies. Not only do we all love to watch and cheer for our favorite teams, we are very involved in sports ourselves and always have been. My wife was a gymnast as a child and was an all-state volleyball player in high school, and I was very successful at baseball and basketball in school. These days we still participate in sports, but we spend a lot of time practicing with our boys, and passing our knowledge on to them. Our 10 year old is currently on a traveling baseball team, and he also loves to play basketball and run cross county and track. As for our 2 year old, we can already see a lot of potential in him. He thinks he can do everything his big brother does! As you can see, sports is a big part of our life, and we love it!

Even though baseball is the true passion in our family, we love watching and cheering for other sports as well. We are big Mizzou Tiger fans. We have always followed the Mizzou basketball team, and while some might call us fair-weathered fans, the last few years of Mizzou football have been very exciting. Especially this year. We are so pumped about the 4th ranked Mizzou Football Tigers!

I will never claim to be an expert about anything, but I love to talk about anything that has to do with sports. I would like to hear your thoughts and opinions about your favorite teams. Especially if they are from the Midwest. I will give you my thoughts about any team. Even the lowly Cubs!